The
seven-million strong American Muslim community has reacted, with grief and fear
of backlash at the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas
by Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. All major Arab and Muslim organizations were
swift in unequivocally condemning this heinous incident which claimed the lives
of 13 people and injured scores more. Within hours after the attack, all major
civil advocacy Arab and Muslim groups and Islamic Centers vehemently denounced
the vicious attack and stressed that "No religious or
political ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate
violence."

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Fearing
a backlash, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) called upon
law enforcement agencies to provide immediate protection for all Mosques,
community centers, schools, and any locations that may be identified or
misidentified with being Arab, Muslim, South Asian or Sikh as a clear backlash
has already started."The actions of a
few should not invite a backlash on innocent members of any community and we
urge law enforcement and others to keep that in mind."

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The Arab
American Institute (AII) pointed out that thousands of Arab Americans and
American Muslims serve honorably everyday in all four branches of the U.S. military
and in the National Guard. "Additionally, many of our sons and daughters have
willingly stepped forward to fulfill their duty with their fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations around the
globe." Courageous Muslims like Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, praised by Colin
Powell in his endorsement speech of Barack Obama, gave his life for his
country, and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the
honor of being buried in Arlington
cemetery.

American Muslim Taskforce
on Civil Right and Elections, an umbrella group representing major Muslim
organizations, urged the national political and religious leaders and media
professionals to set a tone of calm and unity. However, predictably this tragic
incident once again provided fodder for talk shows and websites, which exploit
such isolated events to ratchet up Islamophobia.

For
example: Fox News host Shepard Smith asked Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas on air: "The
name tells us a lot, does it not, senator?" Hutchinson's response was: "It does. It
does, Shepard." As John Nichols, author of "Horror at Fort Hood Inspires
Horribly Predictable Islamophobia," said with those words, the senator leapt
from making assumptions about one man to making assumptions about a whole
religion. What could Hutchinson have said that might have been
more responsible response? She could have emphasized that the investigation of
the shooting spree has barely begun.

Author and journalist.
Author of
Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality;
Islam in the Post-Cold War Era;
Islam & Modernism;
Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America.
Currently working as free lance journalist.
Executive Editor of American (more...)